


Follow the Stars

by Marsiolus



Series: Among the Stars [2]
Category: Final Fantasy XV
Genre: Action & Romance, Action/Adventure, Domestic Bliss, Established Relationship, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Fluff and Smut, Pre-Canon, Self-Indulgent, Sexual Content, Smut, Sorry Not Sorry, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-05-15
Updated: 2019-06-20
Packaged: 2020-03-06 00:48:55
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 19,435
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/18840232
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Marsiolus/pseuds/Marsiolus
Summary: Takes place between chapters 25-26 of my Written in the Stars story and will have major spoilers and references to that fic if you aren't already caught up to at least chapter 26.For three years Nyx Ulric was assigned to accompanying Nova Lucis Caelum around the Lucian countryside in search of the Royal Arms for her arsenal as Sword to the Crown.Both lethally trained soldiers, both madly in love with each other and with every intention of making the most of their time away from the looming pressures and responsibilities they possess in the Crown City.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> Ask and you shall receive 🙌  
> HUGE & MASSIVE thank you to everyone who has been following and supporting my Written in the Stars story and has asked for more Nyx&Nova content.  
> This is for every one of you who has shown me nothing but love and wanted more🖤

_“You are my sun_  
_My moon,_  
_And all of my stars.”_  
_-E.E. Cummings_

 

The holidays had come and gone in Insomnia and all that was left behind was the desolate icy winter. The lights that were strung in every available nook and cranny of the city that had given the season a magical aura had been taken down and packed away for another year, leaving the city in a perpetual state of gloom and despair.

The Christmas trees that had been once meticulously decorated in an array of bright flashing colors and ornaments were left in dying brown heaps on the sidewalks and stuffed unceremoniously in any available dumpster they could be crammed in to.

The snow was no longer white and crisp, instead it had a tinge if grey from the rocks and dirt that had mixed in to it. Other bits of snow were a vibrant yellow from dogs and other rodents prowling the streets, or suspiciously in front of the dive bars in the scummier part of Insomnia. 

The dingy streets of the Galahdian District looked even more dismal and run-down than they did on a good day with the depressing grey tones that comprised the usually bright and lively area. The only bonus of the cold weather was that it kept any compost or garbage from festering in to horrid decaying smells that comprised the district throughout the remainder of the year.

Nyx Ulric was completely and utterly miserable as the cold slush soaked through his combat boots and the icy pellets dropping from the dark sky nipped at his face. He kept his head down while he trudged through the blocks and pulled the collar of his Kingsglaive jacket as tightly as he could around his neck for even just a semblance of protection against the elements. 

After the long grueling hours and of the physical demand from training in the new glaive recruits, Nyx had absolutely no desire to be navigating the Insomnian streets which had become the equivalent to an arctic tundra that was fast becoming the bane of his existence.

It had felt as though Shiva herself had some personal vendetta against the Crown City as it was battered in the relentless and never-ending winter. 

A spew of Galahdian curses were on the tip of his tongue with every frigid gust that blew through from the north, the skyscrapers of the Crown City creating a wind tunnel on streets that threatened to take Nyx down with every blast.

The bone-chilling temperatures held no spot of affection in the Galahdian man's heart, he was a child of the tropical isles where warm weather and sunshine reigned supreme. 

In the past he had tried some popular winter activities to break up the monotony of the dreaded season. He had enjoyed snowboarding until he wound up dangerously close the tree line and ended up with a face full of snow, Nyx would take surfing over that experience any day.

Snowshoeing was fine, but he would prefer hikes spent under the warm sun. Skidooing had been enjoyable but he was fairly confident that was only because he saw the immense joy it had brought to his girlfriend, she was a passionate speed daemon with a wild and free soul.

Nyx hurriedly sprinted the last few blocks to his decrepit apartment, using every ounce of agility and grace he possessed to not slip on the icy sidewalks and fall in to the yellow snow he had been avoiding like the plague.

He was only in his apartment long enough to grab the few items he had ventured all the way there for before locking the metal door behind him and back tracking the grungy sidewalks down the route he had just come from, heading to the Upper Class District and to his girlfriend’s apartment.

When speeding car passed him by and flung a spray of the icy murky slush from the road, Nyx could no longer bite his tongue as a profoundly vulgar yet colorful Galahdian curse viciously spewed out of him.

Irritable, frustrated and hungry, Nyx rode the elevator up to his destination in silence, allowing himself to stew in his unpleasant emotions for a moment. He was soaked to the core, puddles of water forming around his feet on the lift's floor while he was fairly confident he would never know what it meant to feel warm again as his bones shivered and his skin ached from a wind burn and potentially frost bite.

As soon as Nyx walked in to the top floor apartment all concern for himself and his own frets were locked away with the closing door and latch being thrown behind him. 

Nova Lucis Caelum stood in her kitchen, her bed comforter wrapped tightly around her body in a makeshift cocoon. Her crystal blue eyes were red, puffy and watery, her nose sniffling as she visibly struggled to breathe.

She gave her best attempt at smile when she saw Nyx entered the apartment, a thick heavy cough racked through her body with a groan made short work of her efforts.

“Hey babe" her unusually low and raspy voice choked out between chesty coughs.

Neither of them had yet to be sick in front of the other, even in their years of friendship that had lead up to their eventual recently formed relationship.

Hungover? Absolutely. Beat up, battered, and broken from war? Definitely. But never something as simple as the common cold. 

This was Nyx’s opportunity to pamper Nova and completely take care of her for once, not that he wanted to see her suffering and miserable, but he would be lying if he said he was not slightly thrilled with the fact that she so clearly needed him. 

Immediately, Nyx peeled his freezing wet boots and clothes off, leaving them in a heap by the front door as he stripped down to just his boxers, even those clung to his body from being soaked and left nothing to the imagination as Nova gave an approving once-over him before doubling over in a coughing fit.

Nyx quickly closed the distance between them, picking her up, comforter and all and delicately laying her on the sectional couch. 

“You're supposed to be resting Princess” Nyx told her as sternly as he could, his façade crumbling when he saw how small and sickly she appeared in the heavy blanket. 

“I’m fine" she argued, attempting with every fiber of her being to sit back up and resume what she was doing before Nyx had arrived.

He was not about to let that happen and was preparing to wrap his arms around her when Nova's flu got the better of her as she collapsed on to the soft surface of the couch once more. 

Nyx sat beside her, placing a hand to her forehead. He furrowed his brows when he felt the sticky sweaty skin, her flesh burning under his light touch. 

“What do you need my star? I grabbed some spices and ingredients from home so I can make you Ma's sweet and spicy devilfin soup, it'll clear your sinuses right out" he said softly, turning the TV on to play one of the action movies she always loved to watch. 

“Tea or ice cream?” Nova hoarsely asked of him with a slight grimace, the words clearly hurting her already sore throat.

“Eating icy treats in the winter with Amicitia is what you into this mess in the first place Princess” Nyx half-heartedly chuckled as she gave him her best attempt at a glare, coming across as only cute and broken instead of her usual strong and intimidating persona.

With a lopsided grin and a wink, Nyx leaped around the couch and back in to the kitchen, putting the kettle on the stove before scooping up his sopping bundle of a uniform and threw them in to the dryer of Nova's laundry room near the front door. 

Nyx made for Nova's room, quickly jumping in to a scalding shower to warm up before rummaging through the walk-in closet that held his growing collection of clothes on one side. 

Pulling on the comfiest sweatpants and thickest sweater he had left there, he continued to whip around Nova's apartment, returning to the kitchen just as the kettle began its sharp whistle on the stovetop. 

“One piping hot tea with lemon and honey, for my honey” Nyx passed Nova the mug with a chuckle as she snorted and gave him a pointed yet appreciative look. 

“Now, you sit back and relax Princess, I'm going to get the soup going and if you need anything just let me know. Deal?”

Nova gave the tiniest of nods as she breathed in the citrusy tea, a small smile on her face as her eyes were already glued to the beginning of the movie. 

Nyx was a chaotically organized tornado in the kitchen, sautéing vegetables while dicing the fish fillet into smaller morsels. The potent citrusy smell of lemon being added to the fish with the spicy flavors of peppers and strong spices being added to the vegetables and broth was already wafting through the apartment, his mouth drooling at the classic Galahdian dish. 

It was not long before Nyx was in the process of dishing up the soup, placing the hot bowl on the coffee table in front of Nova with an ice cold glass of water.

“Do you need anything else my star?” 

“No thanks" Nova's hoarse voice croaked back in return with a flinch, a frown and furrowed brow appearing on the usually lively face of the Galahdian man. 

“Try not to talk too much, I'm going to be right back, okay?” Nyx said with a slight look of worry, Nova gave him her best reassuring nod and smile in return.

With a slight smile, Nyx returned to the kitchen, dishing up another two bowls from the large batch of soup he had made. Galahdian’s had a bad habit of cooking far too much and it was a trait Nyx had picked up from his mother, Theia.

Thankfully, Nyx knew of just the bottomless pit that would be more than willing to take any and all extras off of his hands and he happened to live just across the hallway, with it being a Friday night, he knew an additional human garburator would be located over there as well. 

With a single heavy knock with his foot, the apartment door swung open. Nyx gave his biggest lopsided grin and held up the massive bowls of soup in either of his hands, almost as an offering to the prince. 

Nyx watched the transition of the cerulean blue eyes in front of him go from mildly confused to wildly excited in a mere matter of seconds, Noctis giving him a pleased smirk. 

“You always show up in people’s doorways with food, Nyx?” Noct said easily with a chuckle as he motioned for the older man to follow him in to the apartment.

“Yeah, it's my signature move for winning over my girlfriend’s family, couldn't you tell?”  
Noctis snorted as he drew two spoons from his kitchen drawer, “Prom, Nyx brought food” he yelled out before returning his attention to the older man. “And how’s that working out for you so far?”

Nyx gave him a one shoulder shrug, a smug smirk and a quipped eyebrow as he sat the food down on the table, “you tell me.”

Their interaction was brought to an abrupt halt as the young blonde bound in to the room, but Nyx had already seen the flash of respect behind the blues eyes of the prince and the smirk that slightly twitched near the corner of the young man’s mouth to know that Noctis had appreciated the small gesture.

“Dude, you're seriously the best! This actually smells unreal, what is it?” Prompto eagerly asked as he stole a spoon from his best friends hand and plopped down in front of a bowl at the kitchen table. 

“Sweet and spicy devilfin soup, it's a family recipe. Nov's is sick as a dog so I was hoping it'll make her feel better.”

Nyx did not miss the smile Noctis gave before turning his back, opening the freezer door and pulling out a broken box that had ice buildup along its edges from clearly being stashed away for so long. 

“Here, take these. There Novie's favorite when she’s sick.”

Nyx snorted as he skeptically took the box of banana flavored popsicles from Noct's outstretched hand and gave them a once-over glance. 

“Yeah, those are Novie's go-to for sure. She has no restraint whatsoever when she's sick and it comes to those bad boys.”

Nyx and Noctis gave each other a questioning look before both of them put their attention to the blonde at the table who had made the remark so casually, as though it were a common fact. 

Prompto innocently shrugged as he continued to chow down on the Galahdian soup with wide and uncertain eyes under the sudden scrutiny. “What? Can't help it if I'm observant.”

Noctis gave a dramatic eye roll and a sigh while Nyx narrowed his gaze and folded his arms. “Dude, you gotta give up the crush on my sister, Nyx's right here.”

The blonde choked on his soup as the realization of what he said hit him. “Oh Gods, no! I didn't mean that in like a stalkery way, it's just like I remember this one time.. we were all sick, yeah? Like me, Noct, and Novie, and like – Novie - she must have gone through like, a million of those things. Anyways-"

Nyx cut off the rambling blonde with a pat on his shoulder, a hearty laugh rumbling through his chest as he watched the look of horror on the younger man's face as it changed from fair and freckled in to a bright crimson, as vibrant as a sunburn tourist’s got from the Galahdian sun. 

“Blondie, it's fine. Nov's is an incredible and beautiful woman, I get it. Speaking of which, I need to get back to her.”

“Thanks for the food Nyx" Noct said as Nyx walked away, the older man throwing a wave over his shoulder as the door closed behind him. 

Nyx returned to Nova's apartment, putting the popsicles in the freezer quickly before grabbing a bowl of soup for himself and making his way to the couch where Nova had only managed to get through half of her dish. 

“How are you doing my star?” Nyx asked with a worried glance to the pale features of Nova as her skin took on a sweaty glisten, her dark hair sticking to her face wherever it touched. 

Nova cleared her throat before speaking, the saddest smile Nyx had ever seen from her spread across her face. “Better, but I'm cold.”

Nyx did not even hesitate, without a word he jumped to his feet and jogged to the bathroom to run a bath before he returned to the kitchen, grabbing a couple of the popsicles from the Prince before he scooped Nova up in his arms.

He helped her unravel from the heavy comforter draped around her, to pull the thick cozy clothes that clung to her body as they were heavily drenched in her sweat.

Nyx diligently stripped down as well without a word, stepping in to the large tub and laying Nova on his chest as the hot water filled up around them. He shimmied her around enough to raise a foot to shut off the tap, returning them both to a comfortable and relaxing position. 

“Nyx, I love you.”

Nova's hoarse voice cracked with each syllable but she persisted through the pain, laying her head back on Nyx's chest as he rubbed small circles on her arm. 

“Have I ever told you how much I love you, my star?” Nyx quietly asked as he placed a gentle kiss to her hair, feeling a grateful sigh leave Nova's chest.

She shook her head in response as she sunk deeper in to the soothing warmth of the bath and into the comforting embrace of Nyx, eagerly devouring the popsicle that numbed her aching throat. 

“I love you more than anything my star.”

Nova hummed in appreciation of his words, her fingers entwining with his to wrap his arms tighter around her was the only response Nyx needed to know that Nova felt the same. 

It was not until the water began to cool and their skin had become wilted and pruney did they finally leave the bath. Nova instantly slipping in to one of Nyx's t-shirts that was full of rips, tears and blood stains as she crawled on her large bed where Nyx covered her with the discarded blanket after throwing his own raggedy sweatpants back on. 

She gave him a questioning look as Nyx tucked her in tightly, it was blatantly obvious he was not about to join Nova in bed.

“Sleep my star, I'll be in soon.” 

That answer was enough to satisfy Nova enough for the moment, her flu rapidly draining what little motivation she had left to remain awake. With heavy eyelids she gave one last small smile to Nyx before he left her in the bed, returning to the sectional couch in a flop with a sigh. 

Bringing a hand up to rub his face and eyes, Nyx leaned forward with his elbows rested on his knees. His long forgotten and neglected soup was cold as he inhaled it, too hungry to truly appreciate the taste or temperature at this point and only eating because his body so desperately required sustenance after warping and training all day.

Nyx dutifully packed away the remaining leftovers and tidied the mess he had made in the kitchen before he had to give in to the exhaustion he felt in every part of his body. 

Nova was sleeping soundly when he crept in to the room, his Kingsglaive training having taught him how to move silently in even the quietest of spaces as he cozied in to the soft blanket, searching out for the warm body in the partial darkness to pull her closer to him. 

The next morning Nyx woke to an empty bed, the sheets cold to the touch signaling that Nova had left him alone for quite some time. He reluctantly left the cozy confines as well, stretching out the knots that formed from the long hours of not moving. 

Rubbing the sleep that clung to his foggy grey eyes, he found the missing woman sitting on the sectional couch, a large map of Eos spread across her lap while popsicle sticks and wrappers were littered around her, the mangled box unceremoniously tossed to the floor by the coffee table. 

Nova gave him a bright smile as she finished her current frozen treat, her eyes brighter and skin significantly more flushed than when she had gone to sleep the previous night. 

“Princess, do not tell me you've only eaten popsicles for breakfast?”

Nyx gave Nova a highly unimpressed look when she sheepishly looked back to him, the sly smirk spreading across her features made him let out a sigh, but it was only in relief when he heard the substantial improvement in her voice. 

“And coffee.”

“Princess.”

“I can't help it, they're my favorite.”

With a laugh Nyx shook his head as he walked in the kitchen for the coffee that was already brewed and to get them each a proper meal. “Clearly, I found that out from blondie yesterday. Seems you have an admirer, Princess.”

“That's nothing new" Nova snorted, earning a curious glance from Nyx although she could not see him from her position on the couch as she continued.

“Anyways, I've been looking over the map that Dad marked for me with the royal tombs. Come look it over with me and we'll plot a course?”

Nyx hummed from the kitchen as he sipped on his coffee, a few moments later he returned to Nova's side balancing two steaming bowls of last night's leftovers. 

“I don't care where we go, as long as it's far away from this damn city and the stupid cold” he huffed as his eyes grazed across the map and to the various circled locations Regis had laid out for them. 

Nova’s eyes darted over the paper as she laid it on the coffee table in front of them, eagerly inhaling the soup Nyx had provided her with. 

“Why don't we just go to Lestallum first, there's three just on that side of Lucis alone so that could be our home base” she said thoughtfully, with a hopeful glance to the man beside her.

“Princess, I will follow you wherever you want to go across Eos, just say the word" Nyx said with a genuine lopsided grin and a wink, promptly earning an excited smile in return.

“Perfect, I'll go to the Citadel and let Cor know today about our destinations and we can go from there.”

“I'm sorry my star, but you're not leaving this apartment until you’re better. Cause as long as you're sick, we're stuck in this Shiva's asshole of a city which means I'm on training duty for a bunch of bloodthirsty kids with a point to prove.”

Nova flashed him a genuine surprised look, it was not often Nyx charge and laid down the law but she could not help but to be thoroughly impressed, excited, and just a bit turned on from the authority he suddenly commanded.

With a quipped eyebrow and a mischievous smile, Nova conceded to Nyx with a curt nod, tucking away the desire to see more of that side of the man for a rainy day. 

“Fine. I'll call Cor then and let him know.”

Nyx gave her a dismissive wave and slight shake of his head as he finished his meal, “don't worry about it Princess. I'll go in early and talk to the Marshal then Drautos.”

“You sure?”

“Positive. I'll head out now and you just work on feeling better my star.”

Nyx hastily changed in to his Kingsglaive uniform and left Nova with a hot cup of tea and a kiss to the forehead before he was attempting not to slip and slide down the icily treacherous Crown City streets. 

Nyx glided through the throngs of people in the Citadel lobby, he was a man on a mission and despite the fact it felt like everyone was purposely in his way to prevent him from reaching the royal offices, he kept his head high and his frustration in check. 

Having finally reached his destination in what Nyx felt was an excruciating amount of time, he firmly knocked on the Marshal’s door, awaiting word for permission to enter. 

Instead, Nyx was caught off guard when the door suddenly swung open, stern light blue eyes quickly scrutinized him before the older man returned to his office chair, leaving the door open behind him.

Nyx accepted the wordless invitation to proceed, taking up a chair opposite the man in the drab and mundane office space. 

“Ulric, what do you want?”

Cor was completely stoic and emotionless towards Nyx, the Galahdian man had briefly only seen the Marshal once crack the faintest of almost smiles in Nova's presence, which was clearly an honor that did not translate over on to him. 

Nova had been the one to usually coordinate with the unwelcoming man, more accustomed to his tactics and personality than he was. Nyx straightened in his chair and squared his shoulders while he responded.

“Nov's and I have decided that The Myrlwood, Greyshire Grotto and Thommels Glade will be our next destinations in her collections of the royal arms, sir.”

Cor sat silently for a moment before giving a quick approving nod, jotting down the information on a notepad he had laid out in front of him. His fierce blue eye bore in to with a quick glance, “estimated time frame of your trip?”

Nyx hesitated for a brief moment as he mentally debated and contemplated the question. How long he thought it would take them to complete their mission versus how long he wanted it to take were wildly drastic and he was attempting to find the medium between them. 

Cor spoke up before Nyx had a chance to answer, sitting his pen down and pointedly looking at the young man across from him. 

“Would six months be sufficient?”

“Absolutely, sir.”

“And if I were to ask you to scout out two new Imperial bases near Lestallum, that would garner an additional two months, perhaps?”

Nyx was a bit unsure as to why the Marshal was being so incredibly generous with the time frame, he suspected it had to do with the soft spot in the man's cold heart for Nova. 

Nyx had never been one to pass up an opportunity, especially when it was handed freely to him on a neat golden platter.

“Eight months sounds good, sir.”

And by good, Nyx meant un-fucking-real and could not have been more excited despite his calm and collected demeanor he attempted to portray on the outside. 

The Marshal gave him a curt nod, once again resuming his scribbles of messy penmanship on to the notepad, without looking at Nyx again the older man dismissed the glaive.

“Coordinate with Drautos, let him know you will not be reporting to duty after today until your return.”

Cor handed Nyx a piece of stationary with the Marshal’s name and title at the top, Nyx could only assume it said the same thing Cor had just told him, but the horrid chicken-scratch of writing was illegible to the younger man. 

“And Ulric.”

Nyx stopped his in tracks as he quickly regarded the older man again, maintaining an unflinching composure as the light blue eyes stabbed in to him like daggers. 

“I don't have to remind you that if any harm befalls Nova, the king will be the least of your worries.”

Nyx could not be intimidated easily, but a chill that was colder than the icy winds outside made Nyx’s blood run cold as the menacing threat hung in the air between the two men.

Had the words come from anyone else, Nyx would have easily shaken off them off, by he knew no one trifled with the Immortal and lived to walk away from it. 

With a curt nod, Nyx spun on his feet and slammed the office door shut behind him. Nyx could not be positive but he thought he heard the sounds of a soft chuckle on the opposite side of the closed wooden door, his own heartbeat pounding in his ears muffling out any other sounds. 

Nyx vowed to avoid all communications with the Marshal again and leave that distinguished privilege up to Nova in the future as he made a bee-line for Drautos office in the Kingsglaive training ground next. 

“You're killing me Ulric" the Captain had groaned when he deciphered the Marshal’s writing, a deeply unimpressed sigh leaving him as he threw the note on his desk and rubbed a hand over his face. 

“Sorry, sir" it took every ounce of willpower for Nyx not to smirk, at the obvious annoyance coming from Drautos.

“Just, don't worry about the recruits today. Whip Pelna in to shape so I can have a Gods damn warping trainer around here for a fucking change.”

“Yes sir.”

“Ulric, you call me sir one more time and I'm sending your ass to the Crownsguard for good so I don't have to deal with you anymore.”

“I'm going to go find Pelna now, _Captain_ ” Nyx could not contain his wicked smile as he left the office, hearing a slew of curses coming from Drautos as he closed the door with a hearty laugh. 

Pelna was hardly in need of a warping coach, the man was better than the majority of the glaive and only second to Nyx. It was merely stamina and endurance that he needed to work on, which meant spending the day doing cardio together, a far better alternative to teaching a bunch of angry and misplaced refugees proper warping techniques.

“So, Crowe tells me you almost proposed to Nova last week" Pelna heaved between pants with a sly smirk as he maintained his steady pace on the treadmill.

Nyx shot the younger man a slight glare from his own treadmill, making a mental note to have a word with Crowe at the next available opportunity.

“Haven't you only been together for like, a minute?”

“Yeah, which Crowe had no shortage of words to remind me with" Nyx replied with a huff, the subject still slightly touchy since she and Libertus had called him every variation of an idiotic dumbass under the sun when they found out. 

“You got balls man. How'd the old king react when you asked him?”  
Pelna groaned as he saw Nyx’s slight cringe turn in to a sheepish look and shrug, the younger man shaking his head with a laugh. 

“So, let me get this straight. You were going to propose to Nov's, the Princess of Lucis, and did not ask her father, The King and our boss, for his blessing. Sound about right?”

Nyx had no words, so he merely gave a side glance and nod to his fellow glaive. Pelna immediately jumped off the treadmill as it continued to run, a hysterical roar of laughter overcoming the man as he doubled over.

Nyx stopped his own treadmill to let out a defeated sigh as he crossed his arms, shooting the younger man a slight glare that held no traction or anger behind it. 

“Yeah, I know, I didn't think it through. Nov’s got me that motorcycle for Christmas, and I thought, you know what would top that?”

“An engagement ring?”

“An engagement ring.”

Pelna shook his head with a laugh, giving the Hero a solid pat on his shoulder as he jumped back on to his treadmill. “Man, you love like you fight don't you? Hard, fast, and diving in head first with no thoughts of consequences.”

Nyx snorted in reply as he resumed his jog with his fellow glaive, he could not confirm nor deny the statement Pelna had made, all he knew was that he was soon going to have to arrange an audience with King Regis. 


	2. Chapter 2

_“Some women fear the fire,_  
_Some women simply become it.”_  
_-r.h. sin_

 

Out of the freezer and in to the frying pan would be the most accurate description for the climate change between Insomnia and Lestallum.

The sweltering heat had only soared and been amplified as the asphalt of the roads and alleys held on to the scorching warmth of the day and brought the city's already hot temperature up significantly with it.

Heat waves could been seen radiating from the ground as bright wavy lines in the atmosphere, with hardly a breeze to pass through the narrow alleyways it made the city air stifling and stale.

Nyx had acclimatized far more rapidly than Nova, having grown up on the tropical isles of Galahd where the humidity could make the air heavy and thick while the temperatures would soar so high even Ifrit would be uncomfortable.

Nova struggled with the constant feeling of being weighed down and sluggish from the heat, her clothes clinging uncomfortably on to her body from a combination of the sweat pouring from her pores and from the damp and heavy humidity that hung around the city.

It took a full week for Nova to become accustomed to the local weather and an additional week after that to actual appreciate it and bask in burning rays during the heat of the day.

Nyx and Nova had initially stayed at a suite in The Leville during their first few weeks in Lestallum, the five-star hotel had lavished them with nothing but quality service, discretion in their privacy, and complimentary food and drinks given Nova’s title, but it took away from their experience of enjoying the local Cleigne culture and charm Lestallum had to offer.

Nova had been waiting for Nyx to finish his bartering at a Galahdian vendor’s stall when she decided to roam the shops on her own, coming across a vacant and empty townhouse tucked away in the corner of the lively and energetic marketplace with a For Rent sign in the window.

Without a second thought or even a moment of hesitation she called the number listed on the bottom of the sign, returning to her boyfriend with a large eager smile and bright blue eyes.

“You sure this is a good idea Princess?” Nyx asked skeptically as he stood with Nova in front of the ramshackle of a house that looked as though it would crumble if even the slightest breeze were to reach its broken wooden paneled siding.

Nyx was fairly confident that the only reason the building was even still standing was purely from the fact that it was attached to a row of other additional townhouses on each of its sides, all of which were looking just as weather worn and haggard as the one they were waiting to view.

Nova gave a slight nonchalant shrug but her crystal blue eyes spoke a different story as they danced with an excited glint as she looked to Nyx with a soft smile.

“It's at least worth a look. We’re paying 300 gil a night at The Leville and this guy is only charging 650 for the month. Not that the money really matters, but how great would it be to have our own space since we’re out this way for eight months?”

Nyx could not argue the logic behind her plan, the thought of renting a home with Nova had his stomach doing a million giddy flips but he worried how structural sound the building was and if it would be good enough for his Princess.

Nova quickly glanced to her phone to check the time, her head swiveled to look around the chaotic market with a narrow gaze, her blue eyes scanning over each individual person in her line of sight.

“He should be here soon, said he would be wearing a black blazer and has silverish-white hair.”

Nyx did his own survey of their surrounding area with his military trained scanning techniques to flag any potential threats while he adjusted the ball cap on Nova's head as a precautionary measure to further hide her face, paranoid that a bystander might recognize her and inform the Empire of her whereabouts outside of the Crown City.

“Nyx, we're just going to look at an apartment, not infiltrate an Imperial base.”

“Princess, what is it that Cor always taught you?”

With a sigh Nova repeated the Immortal’s sacred mantra that had kept him alive through countless battles and wars, the one that Nyx knew for a fact that Cor had drilled in the women’s head from a young age with the decade spent of the Marshal having taken the young Princess and tiny Sword under his wing.

“The enemy will look to exploit any weakness they can, don't become complacent in your movements because one false step could prove to be your last.”

Nyx became slightly unnerved with the perfectly measured cadence Nova employed to sound shockingly similar to the Marshal’s monotone way of speaking, piercing light blue eyes burning holes in to his soul flashed in his mind as he threw Nova a quick unsettled glance.

“That was terrifying accurate Princess.”  
Nova gave a sly smirk and shrug to Nyx, readjusting the ball cap on her head so it no longer obstructed her line of sight.

“My whole childhood was spent with Cor, his voice is so engrained in me that he's practically the voice of reason in my head at this point.”

“That is a truly horrifying thought that you should absolutely never mention again Princess” Nyx said with a hearty laugh that was cut short when an unknown man fitting Nova's description walked directly towards them weaving through the people in the marketplace with an easy smile.

“Apologies for the delay, gotta little side tracked at one of them new vendor’s merch selection with a whole lotta jewels I’ve been dying to get a look at.”

The man had an accent unlike any other Nova had come across, it was not like the polished and refined articulation Ignis possessed and yet it was not the long sweet and soft drawl on words that defined Cindy. It was somewhere in between with his own fast talking, emphasizing certain vowels and dropping consonants kind of dialect.

“Anyways, what say we just get right down to it and take a tour, yeah? Name's Dino by the way, you got any questions just shout ‘em out.”

Dino grabbed a key from inside his jacket pocket, stepping around Nyx and Nova who now attempting to keep the peak of her hat covering her face.

“Dino, I'm Nyx. What's the deal? Why is the rent so cheap?”

Nyx suspiciously asked as he stepped in to the townhouse behind the strange landlord, immediately noticing that it was not nearly as rundown on the inside and had actually held a quaint rustic charm to it.

“Look, the gist of it is this, I got a new gig that's going to take me away from Lestallum so I need to get this beauty rented out like yesterday so I can get my ass down to Galdin.”

Nova looked over the solid hardwood floors and the meticulously handcrafted white cupboards in the bright cozy kitchen as the afternoon sun spilled in through the large bay window of a breakfast nook that was tucked in the corner and was lined with exposed brick.

“Did you ever think about selling?” Nova vaguely asked as her eye was drawn to the ceiling and the exposed wooden beams that ran across the length of the house before turning her gaze to the beautiful staircase with the intricately detailed railing.

“In this market? Nobody is going to be buying houses anytime soon with the uncertainty of this whole war currently going on, no offense Princess.”

Nyx and Nova both instantly froze where they stood at the casual drop of her title, each of them shooting the man that stood in front of the door a wary glance, Nyx immediately fell in to a defensive position on the staircase while Nova hesitantly followed suit in the living room below him.

With a hearty laugh the white haired man put his hands up in a dismissive wave while casually leaning on the open doorway beside him.

“Sorry your highness, but that ball cap isn't fooling anyone. Especially with word on the street that the Princess of Lucis and her Galahdian boy-toy have been spotted roaming the city the past couple weeks. What kinda reporter would I be if I didn't put two-and-two together.”

With a sigh Nova pulled the hat from her long dark hair, freeing the confined braids and golden headpiece that were pressing tightly against her scalp.

“So you're a reporter, now what?”

Dino shrugged and gave what was probably supposed to come across as a disarming smile but only appeared as mischievous in its nature.

“Yeah, that new gig I mentioned before, it’s for Meteor Publishing. But look, like I said, I need this place rented and fast. Your secret will be safe with me cause I'm an upright kind of citizen and an even better landlord who doesn't give two-flying fucks about meddling in my tenants business.”

Nova narrowed her eyes suspiciously as she noticed a sly smile slithered across Dino's face, not particularly a fan of how his eyes scanned over her.

“What's the catch?”

Nova asked, absolutely confident that there was more to the man’s intentions than he was letting on.

“In exchange though, let me take a quick look at that jewelry in your hair and the place is yours, if you want it that is.”

Nova dubiously agreed but only under the condition that he was allowed to inspect it under her watchful eye in the breakfast nook of the small house, Dino did not even attempt to argue or barter a better deal since he was clearly ecstatic at the opportunity.

Dino was beyond fascinated with the Astral given headpiece, claiming to not have seen anything even remotely similar in all of Eos. Nova attempted to keep her answers short and vague when Dino threw her question after question regarding the acquisition and properties of the jewels.

Nyx would intercept with a question or statement about the rental property before the man could get too close to learning the truth behind the mystical jewelry and the existence of an additional God the public was unaware of.

By the time it was said and done, Nyx had managed to wheel-and-deal the agreement to a 600 gil a month rent with no contract, the option to potentially buy the townhouse left on the table for any day the couple felt like venturing down that path.

“So babe, guess it’s official, we're moving in together" Nova said with a wide grin and bright lively eyes as she held up the keys Dino had left them with on the counter.

“I don't know which ones of your father’s will murder me first when they find out, Regis or Cor” Nyx replied with a soft chuckle as he picked Nova up in his arms and spun her around the empty living room, ravishing her neck with kisses and soft bites.

“Nyx, don't be foolish. Obviously Cor.”

“Obviously, he is The Immortal.”

“But who says they need to know?” Nova managed to get out in between her fits of laughter as Nyx bombarded her with his love and affection.

He paused long enough to look down at the woman in his arms, an amused lopsided grin spreading across his tanned face and his eyebrow raised in an intrigued fashion.

“Princess, are you insinuating that we lie to the ruling government of Lucis which just so happens to be your family?”

“It’s not lying as much as withholding information on the whereabouts or existence of our safe house for fear of it being compromised.”

Nyx and Nova just stared at each other for a brief moment before they both broke out in to a loud roar of laughter, the sound echoing throughout the empty rooms and halls of their new townhouse.

“You know we need to buy furniture now Princess.”

“And groceries.”

“And a bed.”

“We should get wine.”

“Princess, I think we have wildly different priorities.”

Nyx chuckled as Nova leaped up the artisanal staircase, taking the steps two at a time to view the bedrooms and bathroom located on the second floor.

Both bedrooms were basic, small square rooms with the same solid hardwood as the lower level running throughout them.

The bathroom was modest yet had the most character in the house, the majority of the cramped space being taken up by an antique soaking tub tucked against a large tinted glass window that bathed the room in vibrant blues and greens as the afternoon rays trickled in through the multi-colored panels.

“Mmm, I can't wait to have baths in there with you my star" Nyx’s sultry voice was hot in Nova's ear as he slinked his arms around her waist from behind.

Nova leaned back into Nyx's arms, closing her eyes with an easy smile while enjoying a sweet blissful moment with him in the confines of their new home together that represented the next step in their relationship.

“Let's go shopping for our new place” Nova said as she turned in Nyx’s arms to face the man. He gave her a lopsided smile as he held her hand to lead them down the stairs and in to the market that was only steps from their door.

In the market Nyx had and Nova split up in search of critical items for the apartment to cover as many of the shops and vendors as possible before the afternoon grew in to evening, Nyx was on furniture duty while Nova handled the grocery items.

When Nyx reconvened back at the apartment with Nova as the sun began to set, it was with a mattress and couch in tow behind him with the help of some local men carrying their new belongings.

Nova gave him an impressed smile while she leaned against the doorway with crossed arms that separated the kitchen from the living room while Nyx directed the men carrying the mattress to the bedrooms up the staircase, adjusting the angle of the couch in the living room with a wink to Nova.

Once they were alone once more, Nova flopped on to the firm dualhorn leather couch with Nyx, a glass of wine in hand and her body curled in to his as he laid his arm around her waist as they looked at the blank wall in front of them.

“So Princess, I got a great deal on the furniture but it came with a bit of a stipulation.”

Nova sat up to give Nyx a quizzical look, more intrigued than concerned as to what the deal entailed that he had agreed to.  
He gave her a slight shrug and a lopsided grin at Nova's raised eyebrow.

“The older man who made the couch gave me a great discount but in return we need to go do a hunt for him.”

“Seems like a fair trade" Nova replied suspiciously while waiting for Nyx to elaborate.

“It's near Secullam Pass, so we can swing by Thommels Glade and grab the royal arm on the way.”

“Well that's convenient, but what is it?”

“It's also not far from one of the Imperial Bases Cor wants us to check out.”

“Nyx.. what is it?”

A moment of silence passed between them, Nova narrowed her gaze at Nyx, uncertain as to why he would dodge around the simple question. The fact he gave a slightly forced lopsided grin that was bordering on a cringe only made Nova more wary as to what he had got them in to.

With a sigh knowing he could not avoid answering, Nyx rubbed a hand over his face and down the stubble on his face, “an elder coeurl. I had to Princess, he told me how it's been stalking around his daughter's property and he doesn't have the money available to hire hunters.”

Nova's face was indecipherable while Nyx explained and justified the arrangement that he had originally eagerly agreed to, one which he now slightly regretted at the eerie reminder of a certain Marshal as he looked at Nova's blank expression with her piercing blue eyes carefully watching him.

Another uncomfortably long silence filled the empty room with Nyx rubbing the back of his neck with a lopsided grin, Nova eventually relented with a deep sigh and a large gulp of wine.

“Nyx, I've said it once and I’ll say it again, you're too damn thoughtful for your own good, but you made the right decision. We’ll leave tomorrow?”

Nyx nodded in response while pulling Nova in to his lap, placing a soft yet passionate kiss to her lips, the lingering taste of wine leaving her lips and tongue on to his, he could feel her melt in to embrace as she wrapped her arms around his neck.

Nova wrapped her legs tightly around Nyx's waist when he stood up with her in his arms, carrying her up the stairs towards their new bedroom upstairs while she placed soft tender bites along his chiseled jawline.

At the end of the day they did not have a table to eat at but they had a mattress to lay on while wrapped in each other's loving grasps, the walls might have been bare but they had full hearts that were content and happy.

The apartment was less than even basic with hardly the bare-bones of necessities they would need to eventually get, but it was theirs and that was worth more than anything they could ever buy in all of Eos, it was what made it perfect.

They made their preparations in the morning for the trip ahead of them. The plan was to tackle each mission as they came across the location of it on the road through Cleigne, starting with the scouting of the Empire’s new base.

Nyx and Nova left their motorcycles at the Coernix Bypass parking lot, traveling the short distance on foot to the looming base that blatantly stood out in the rainy and dreary Cleigne countryside.

Patrolling and scouting the base had proven to be uneventful, they stuck to the shadows when possible and moved under the cover of night with the only enemies threatening to undermine their operation was the daemons that roamed around them.

Nova took as many photos as possible as they easily managed to infiltrate and survey the base that seemed to be in the beginning stages of its development and construction. They had seen hardly more than a few people working while they gave the MA-X's a wide berth and hugged the concrete walls surrounding the base to maintain their secrecy in the enemy territory.

Nyx stayed ahead of Nova whenever he could in order to ensure her safety but to also take the first hit if any of the hundreds of MT's that were lined in solidarity rows throughout the base were activated and attacked.

They had been in and out with the Empire being none the wiser, Nova immediately sent any and all photos and notes she had documented to Cor for his review.

The Imperial base to the location of the tomb had taken less than an hour, an easy and smooth ride with the only obstacle being the puddles of water that had accumulated during the morning rain. The afternoon sun was beginning to take care of that problem quickly as they arrived at the road leading to the tomb.

The retrieval of the Shield of the Just had proved to be surprisingly and suspiciously easy, with the tomb laid out on full display in Thommels Glade. Although Nyx and Nova had both been incredibly wary as they carefully walked the dirt path to the royal tombs entrance they had been met with no resistance or any living creatures for that matter.

The trip to Secullam Pass had also taken no time from the tomb, leaving their bikes parked on the side of the road in an effort to gain the element of surprise as they stealthily tread through the dense cover of trees and bushes to locate the couerl before it found them.

“Let's get this over with as quick as possible” Nova quietly said as they proceeded in to the forest.

“I like how you think Princess. There's a bed back home that's calling our names" Nyx replied with a quick lopsided grin and wink.

When the air around them began to crackle with the faint feeling of electrical currents and static, Nyx knew they were drawing close to their target. He motioned for Nova to fall in step behind him while he carefully and quietly took the lead.

The intensity of the electricity buzzed through the air and zapped the metal of their clothing with each movement, the smell of ozone strong in the wooded glen as Nyx gave Nova a concerned and wary glance as a dropping feeling of regret quickly began to form in the pit of his stomach.

Nova gave him a large and eager smile and reassuring nod in return, summoning the scimitars of the hunter to hers hands, small jolts of electricity snapping and dancing in between the two blades only sharpened the avid light in her crystal blue eyes.

Nyx could not tell if Nova had enchanted her blades with lightning or if the energy that ran between them was merely from the electrified particles in the air that were being produced by the nearby elder coeurl, either way it had been enough to hold Nyx steadfast to their mission as he moved on once again through the thick underbrush.

A rustle in the bushes ahead of them froze Nyx to his spot as he craned his neck in search of the source. Bright electric blue eyes surrounded by thick white fur stared back at him before a growl that rumbled through Nyx’s whole body roared out and echoed all around them.

With not a moment to spare, Nyx jumped out of the way at the sudden appearance of the coeurl as it charged his position, Nova was right behind him as she warped to safety atop a nearby boulder.

With a quick glance at one another, Nyx and Nova both attempted to attack the beast and gain the upper hand. The coeurl was just as fast as the lightning bolts it sent hurtling at the pair, causing both of them to dodge more than attack.

Scimitars and kukris slashed and stabbed in a blinding fury on either side of the large beast, attempting to hack away and kill the animal as quickly as possible.

Nyx was bleeding from multiple small wounds, either from the lethal claws of the massive cat just barely grazing his skin as it ripped holes in his clothes or from the solid limbs of trees and bushes he brought up against as he narrowly fled from the dangerous reaches of the couerl.

None of the injuries were enough to deter the man or hinder the strength of his attacks but the blood pooling around his hands made his grip on the kukris unsteady and slippery in his palms.

Nova was initially fairing a bit better since she could produce the strongest and most durable shields in all of Insomnia. However, they did nothing in protecting her against the fierce strength and brute force of the couerl, knocking her back and dangerously close to the razor sharp teeth of the large cat before she warped away with a long deep claw mark tearing away chunk of flesh on her thigh.

Nova hobbled to safety from her warp point, grinding her teeth to hold back the screams of pain that threatened to explode with every step that sent a searing flash of white hot pain through her entire body.

Flopping behind a tree she sunk to the ground and broke open an elixir over the open wound, feeling the skin slowly seal and rejuvenate as the blood stopped gushing out from her thigh.

They continued to tag team the large beast, Nyx would attack and warp away to safety when it's attention was drawn to the man while Nova would leap in with both blades swinging before rotating back again.

The fight was long and hard, they were sorely outmatched by the massive animal but they did not relent in their efforts as they slowly beat the beast down little by little.

A sudden sharp crackling burst through the air, Nova’s eyes went wide as her heart suddenly stopped in her chest as she saw the coeurl crouch down and release a large lightning bolt directly aimed at the man across the glen from her.

Time came to a stop and she could feel a sudden tightness closing her throat shut and a stabbing pain directly to her heart as she attempted to yell out to Nyx, watching helplessly from afar as the bolt hit him directly in the chest.

Nova’s blood ran cold and her heart felt like it was going to claw out of her chest as a broken sob left her body as she collapsed to her knees. She could only stare in disbelief as Nyx harshly collide against a nearby tree from the sheer force and strength of the blast.

When he dropped to the ground and continued to lay limp on the ragged rocks beneath him Nova felt the overwhelming feeling of pressure in her chest and stomach, tears began to blur her vision as a steady stream ran down her face as she watched in horror as the coeurl stalked closer to his motionless body.

An empty coldness settled within Nova at seeing Nyx so helpless, broken and possibly dead from the lethal blow. Her feelings of being lost and hollow gave way to a pure unadulterated anger that viciously raged through her veins at seeing the accursed coeurl continued to draw near a defenseless Nyx.

Nova could feel her skin beginning to burn throughout her body as she allowed her magic to freely course through her as her emotions ran wild, not attempting to restrain or dilute the strength and potency of it as she had always done at the Citadel.

The fury of Nova's wrath boiled brightly as the magic brewing inside of her made her veins light up in a vibrant red underneath of her fair skin, her blue eyes burning with a fierce fire behind them as her clothes began to smolder on her skin from the heat radiating from the Sword.

Nova blasted the elder couerl with the strongest and deadliest fire spell she could muster with no regard of her own stamina or safety, only a genuine desire to inflict as much pain on the creature as she was feeling inside of her.

The intensity and sheer heat of the fire that hit the beast would have made even Ifrit proud as the woods around them lit up in a roaring blaze, singeing the once white fur of the coeurl in to an ashen grey as it succumb to the instant injuries Nova had inflicted on it.

Nova quickly warped to Nyx's motionless body to warp them away before the flames engulfed him as it quickly ate through the surrounding forest.

Mindlessly Nova warped as far and as fast as she could, Nyx limp in her grasp with his arm haphazardly slung over her shoulders. When her stamina ran out and she was on the verge of a physical and mental collapse, she finally stopped as she sat on the damp ground while cradling Nyx in her arms.

A low deep groan from below her paused the soul crushing sobs that flowed freely from her, her eyes went wide as two elixirs crystallized in either of her hands, immediately breaking them over Nyx’s chest.

When his eyes fluttered underneath of her scrutinizing stare, Nova felt the oppressive weight she had felt lift from her shoulders, a genuine laugh leaving her as she tightly embraced the man, promptly earning another groan as she squeezed him tightly to her chest.

“Thanks Princess, but I can't breathe..” Nyx grumbled out as he weakly and vainly attempted to free himself of the death grip Nova had around him, the right side of his chest aching and throbbing at the pressure.

Nova continued her heartfelt laughter as tears of joy instead of sorrow streaked her cheeks, she only lightly loosened the vice like grip she had around him.

The distinct smell of burning filled his nose causing his steel blue eyes to snap open, remembering the couerl he had been in the process of fighting before a blinding bright light flashed before him, after that there was only darkness and an empty feeling of cold nothingness that enveloped him.

"The coeurl!”

Nyx’s head spun around in search of the vicious animal, only to discover he did not recognize the lay of the land surrounding them and did not see any signs of the creature nearby.

“It's dead.”

Nova’s cold tone had Nyx attempting to sit up and look back at the woman, but the pain that radiated through his chest had him falling back in to her open arms with an undignified groan.

It took another few potions until Nyx was able to sit and move on his own accord but at that point he felt nauseous and dizzy from the amount of curatives rushing through his system.

Nova recounted the short series of events that had transpired from when Nyx had blacked out to where they sat now while he sat with his head in her lap, willing down the sick feeling in his stomach that desperately wanted to come out. 

Nova's voice cracked and broke as she saw vividly in her mind Nyx's broken and limp body, the image of him almost lifeless permanently burned in to her heart as a scar she would carry with her.

Nyx had been nothing but proud if not mildly terrified at the sheer amount of power Nova must have commanded to ignite the elder coeurl and forest ablaze in a single blow. 

With night rapidly approaching, they had no choice to find a safe place to bunker down for the night regardless of whether or not Nyx had gained back his energy or stamina to journey anywhere.

Without a word to avoid the resistance she knew would face her, Nova warped Nyx back to their motorcycles before she returned in to the smoldering ashes of the bushes, leaving him bewildered as he stared at the blue streak she left behind in the wild flames that lingered deeper in the woods.

Finding the lifeless body of their target amongst the thick and heavy smoke, Nova began to cut free a large piece of the coeurl’s pelt to bring back to older man in the market as proof of their success, although it had almost come at a great cost to them.

Nova found Nyx straddling his motorcycle in a hunched over ball when she returned to him, taking his hand she gently tugged him off the bike.

“You're riding with me babe, you’re in no state to drive” she said softly as she jumped on to her own bike, motioning for him to do the same behind her.

Nyx knew he could not argue but could not help the concerned glance he shot to his motorcycle at leaving it in such an open area, just asking for it to be stolen.

Nova read his torn expression and immediately grabbed her phone, calling a blonde mechanic she knew who would be more than happy to take the Crown City vehicle off their hands for a bit.

With that issue settled, Nyx easily fell on to the back of Nova's bike, weak and tired arms wrapped around her waist while his head rested between her shoulder blades as he fought to keep the exhaustion and nausea he continued to feel at bay.

The drive back to Lestallum was completed at a speed that had made even Nova a bit nervous, but the looser Nyx’s grip was around her the faster and harder she drove with the night eagerly on their tails.

When they finally made it to the safety of bright lights surrounding the city, Nyx threw an arm around Nova's shoulders as she helped guide him through the busy streets, bearing as much of his weight as he would allow.

The crowds parted before them with a curious and wary glance, the Galahdian man looking like he had knocked on death's door only to have it slammed in his face leaving him a haggard and shattered mess.

The couple were each respectively covered in blood, soot, and sweat while their clothes were tattered and ripped as they hobbled through the narrow streets.

Inside the confines of their townhouse, Nova helped peel off Nyx's clothes before he weakly stepped in to the shower with Nova, his shirt charred and burned directly on to his skin where the lightning had squarely hit him. 

The once bare and tanned skin on his chest was now marked with what appeared to be throbbing red lightning branches reaching across the toned muscle, stretching out from the point of impact over his right pec across his chest and up his shoulder.

“Looks worse than it feels my star" Nyx said with a half laugh as he roughly flopped on to the firm mattress that laid on the wooden floor, attempting to lighten the mood when he saw Nova's concerned look at the freshly scarred skin.

“Nyx, don't you dare give me that shit or I swear to the Six that I'll electrocute you again, you Gods damn crazy idiot."

Nova gave a huff while Nyx could only chuckle at her reaction while she climbed in to his waiting arms, exhaustion and the rollercoaster of emotions from the day finally taking their toll on the couple as Nova gingerly laid a hand on the no longer flat expanse of Nyx's bare chest, feeling the raised wicked scar beneath her fingers.

“Princess, I think we deserve a vacation. Let's take a few weeks off before we continue collecting the royal arms.”

“That’s the best idea you've had all day Nyx.”


	3. Chapter 3

_“What a mess I have made with nothing but an idea that I am not enough.”_  
_-Chloe Frayne_

 

The day after returning to Lestallum, a haggard and injured Nyx had slowly hobbled in to the marketplace and weakly attempted to give the elder coeurl pelt to the man who had pleaded with him to take on the hunt as proof of accomplishing the task.

Nyx's usual lopsided grin was spread across his tan features, although his smile may have been a bit more broken and a bit more crooked than usual, it was no less charming as ever, his steel blue eyes lit up with a sense of pride.

The older man had profusely refused to accept it, looking at the battle worn and weary younger man with a deep respect and admiration as Nyx shook off the pain and discomfort he was obviously feeling with a shrug and a smile.

“It's nothing really, I'm fine. Just glad I could help" Nyx insisted nonchalantly, his right arm hanging limply to his side as the red and inflamed skin that resembled veins creeped out from beneath his t-shirts sleeve said differently as he held the pelt out with the opposite arm.

“Son, you don't you look fine. You look like you ought to sleep the year away. Keep it, for all the hassle I put you through.”

The vendor told Nyx it to be his own personal souvenir for looking death in the eye and living to walk away from it, for there was no doubt in his mind that the Galahdian man had done just that by the skin of his teeth if his appearance was any indication to go by.

That evening, with the help of Nova, Nyx sewed a portion of the couerl fur on to his Kingsglaive battle armor. It was to be a reminder of his narrow and harrowing escape from death’s clutches and to symbolize his own wild and strong spirit, the elder coeurl was the embodiment of those traits that he had always felt he possessed especially since he moved to the Crown City.

The remainder of the leftover pelt was cured by a local man in the market who had been astounded and horrified by the pelt and the story of its acquisition when Nova hired him to tan the couerl hide.

It was not long after that word quickly began to travel throughout the marketplace from vendor to vendor, and soon among all of Lestallum about the feat of the Galahdian man who travels with the Lucian Sword and Princess that had survived a direct blow from an elder coeurl.

Nyx and Nova had never anticipated that it would earn them the respect and appreciation of the Lestallum citizens who curiously and intriguingly watched the couple from afar anytime they left the confines of their small townhouse.

When Nyx collected the tanned hide from the local man Nova had enlisted, he could sense the awestruck feeling from the younger man as he handed the pelt over with a slack jaw and bewildered eyes. Nyx continued to feel eyes watching and the whispers surrounding him as he hobbled back to the safety of their townhouse.

The elder couerl pelt was draped over the back of the dualhorn leather couch, the white fur retained an ashen grey tone from the fire and heat Nova had expended on the large feline that no amount of cleaning or scrubbing could remove.

Immediately after the attack Nyx could feel the inflamed and dry skin from the newly formed scar on his chest stretch and crack with his every movement, the sinews of his shoulder ached with a burning pain from even the tiniest of motion.

It had left him completely to the care of Nova who was diligently by Nyx's side the entire time, tending to the wound, helping him dress and undress.

Nova had forced a reluctant and impatient Nyx to rest until he was able to once again wash his own hair or reach above his head without grinding his teeth and grimacing from the pain.

Nova and Nyx had began to slowly resume a training schedule of stretching and weight lifting to assist in his rehabilitation. The progress he had made was substantial but the road to Nyx’s recovery had felt excruciating slow and painful to the Galahdian man who was becoming more restless with each day he had to rely on Nova to take care of him.

Nova was doing everything in her power to help Nyx recover as quickly and easily as possible, her heart broke each time she saw the strong and resilient man she knew, struggle to do even the most menial of tasks with that arm.

It had taken Nyx almost a month to fully regain his range of motion on the right side of his chest and shoulder and an additional few weeks of sparring with Nova almost daily to recover his former strength and speed in that arm.

“You like me better without a shirt on anyways Princess.”

“That doesn't mean you should walk through the streets of Lestallum without one Nyx.”

“Amicitia does it in Insomnia all the time and no one says anything.”

Nyx grumbled as he attempted to pull a t-shirt over his head, his injured shoulder continued to hinder the once easy task in to a slow and prolonged process.

Frustrated with his efforts, Nyx sighed as he dropped the shirt on to their small bed and picked up a tattered and blood stained grey tank top that practically showed as much of Nyx's torso as he would have if he had had not put a shirt on at all with both of his pecks and ribcage exposed from the gaping arm holes that hung open to his hips.

“Princess, I don't see how this is any better than being shirtless. I look like I'm leaving a brawl against a pack of saberclaws.”

Nyx said with a snort and a skeptical look to Nova after he quickly glanced at his reflection in the massive full length mirror that rested and ran the length of their bedroom wall.

Nova shrugged with a half-hearted chuckle as she crossed her arms and leaned against the doorframe, giving a soft smile to Nyx that he could not help but notice did not reach her eyes and light them up the way he had fallen in love with.

“Pretty sure that's exactly what happened to that shirt, but you need at least a bit of protection if we're going to spar.”

“This flimsy thing isn't protecting anyone Princess" Nyx said with a laugh and lopsided grin, attempting to lighten the mood and cheer the sullen Nova who had not been herself since the couerl attack.

Nova gave a slight snort and a small smirk as she spun on her heel and walked down the stairs, leaving Nyx alone with a heavy heart and an aching chest.

Nova had grown reserved and distant from Nyx, he knew that she had never stopped caring for him or loving him but she was coping with her emotions in the same way Cor had taught her to push physical pain to the back of her mind in order to carry on with a stoic demeanor.

She hit a point of detachment, Nova went through her daily motions of caring for a wounded Nyx but she felt distant and vacant, like she was watching someone else's hands do the job she knew her body was doing.

It was easier for her to remain cold and detached than to deal with her own feelings of incompetence and insecurities in her ability to preform as the Sword to the Crown.

Nyx attempted to be patient and supportive, he gave Nova the space she needed to process her thoughts and feelings even though doing so broke his heart in to a million shards that could rival the pain of the couerl blast. Nyx was beaten and battered physically and crushed emotionally each time Nova would shrug off his hug or would turn away from a kiss.

Desperate and hopeless that he was going to lose her, Nyx put his pride away and called his lifeline for all things concerning Nova, a last-ditch effort in not losing the love of his life to the mental turmoil she had found herself suffering in.

“Look, just keep doing what you’re doing and Novie will come around eventually.”  
“She's been like this for weeks though.”

“I said eventually, not today and probably tomorrow.”

Nyx let out a despairing sigh, he laid alone on the cool cement of their rooftop patio, looking up to the late night stars above as though they would give him the guidance and perseverance he needed.

“I just want her to realize it isn't her fault that I was a fucking idiot.”

“Gods if she doesn't learn that soon, you two are doomed" Gladio snorted on the other end of the phone, causing Nyx to give a half-hearted chuckle in return.

“Ulric, she just needs you to be there. Don’t push her, don't assume what she does and doesn't need. If she talks, listen. If she comes to you for affection, return it.”

“The Marshal really did a number on the two of you and your coping skills, huh?”

“Ulric, I can't stress this enough, you have no fucking idea.”

Nyx followed the advice Gladiolus had given him, as his injury healed and his mobility returned, he began to see the faint sparks of life in Nova come to light. She began to place a kiss between his shoulder blades when helping him dress, a faint smile twitching at the corners of her lips when he joked with her.

As long as he kept the fresh bright red scar from her vision, Nyx noticed Nova returning to her former self little-by-little, her aversion to him waning the more he recovered.

Any time she glanced at the large scar from the injury Nyx had sustained, it suffocated Nova's heart with a tight pressure and of the crushing weight that it had been her fault.

Extreme waves of guilt rushed through her each time Nova noticed the burning red marks that had scorched Nyx's chest in to the lightning branch pattern on his bare skin. Her throat would tighten at the sight, her eyes threatened to spill tears freely as she attempted to maintain her composure before returning to the void of detachment she had taken residence in.

“Looks worst than it feels Princess.”

Nova wanted to roll her eyes at Nyx's statement every time he caught the regretful and remorseful look that darkly clouded her crystal blue eyes. Nova hated that he refused to place any of the blame on her, that she should have been there for him but was not.

She had wanted Nyx to hold her accountable, to justify the guilt she could feel eating away at her soul. Nyx never once gave her the blame that she so desperately craved and tortured herself with.

“Nov's, it's not your fault. It never was and it never will be.”

Nyx held her at arms length, a hand on one shoulder while the other brushed away the tears that were running down her cheeks while he calmly tried to soothe Nova.

He had slightly flinched and hesitated during their morning sparring match in the Lestallum parking lot, the brief pain that shot across his face into a grimace had been the tipping point for Nova after weeks of attempting to keep her emotions at bay.

“I should have been closer to you, I could have protected you. How am I supposed to keep my brother safe from the Empire if I can't even stop a stupid couerl attack on my boyfriend? I almost lost you Nyx, and I couldn't do anything about it" Nova sobbed as she crashed in to Nyx's chest, wrapping her arms tightly around his neck.

“Nov’s, there was nothing you could have done.”

“But, I should have done better.”

Nyx knew this was a struggle Nova had felt long before his injury and were insecurities that ran deeper within her than what his words could ever begin fix or mend.

It was a fight Nova had to conquer alone and Nyx was merely there to support her through it.

Nyx pressed her tightly against his chest, it was the first physical contact they had in weeks and Nyx craved to feel her body against his once more, how she fit so perfectly in to his arms and chest, how Nova would always be the only one to make him feel whole when his body felt broken and useless.

He could feel Nova's fortified walls crumbling and shattering as he tightened his embrace around her, he could feel the moisture from her tears drenching his already sweat soaked tank even more.

Nyx just held Nova closer, running one of his hands up and down the length of her spine while the other hand held on tightly to the back of her head as he placed kisses on to her dark locks.

They continued to stand in the Lestallum parking lot while Nyx attempted to support and convey his affection for Nova with his actions and gestures, allowing her the time she needed to take the burden Nova had placed on her own shoulders and freeing herself from those chains.

The nearby crowds had the decency to ignore the couple or redirect their attention to give them a moment of privacy, Nyx could not have been more grateful and personally vowed to repay the citizens of Lestallum with every fight or hunt he could.

“Let's go home my star. I think that's enough for one day.”

Nyx slowly lead a teary and puffy eyed Nova through the crowded streets as he placed one arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to him, wanting to protect her from any prying eyes but mostly just from herself.

Nova spent the remainder of the day and night wrapped in Nyx's arms as they laid in bed, finally facing her fears and apprehension of her duty and abilities in the safe embrace that was her boyfriend.

Nyx whispered sweet reassuring praises in her ear as he ran his fingers through her hair and placed feather like kisses on any part of exposed skin his lips could find.

In the morning when Nyx woke up to find clear crystal blue eyes starring at him with a renewed passion and fire behind them, he could feel himself fall in love with Nova all over again as she gave him a genuine smile that finally reached the depths of her blue eyes when she looked to him.

That afternoon they affectionately walked hand-in-hand through the marketplace with large smiles, bright eyes, and easy laughs. They were enjoying an overdue and much needed date day as they had lunch at a nearby café.

“I missed you my star” Nyx said as he sat across from Nova at the outdoor table, the blazing sun above them being kept at bay with a large umbrella that stood from the middle of the table.

Nyx brought Nova’s hand that he held in his own to his lips to kiss each of her knuckles, he had missed and craved the way her soft skin felt against his lips and was savoring every moment of it.

“I know, I'm sorry Nyx. I was being selfish and insecure and I took it out on you when I shouldn't have.”

Nyx stopped his kisses on her hand to look at her, he could see the new guilt forming behind her bright blue eyes and was not about to let Nova walk down that path again.

Removing the aviator sunglasses he was wearing, Nyx looked at Nova with a reassuring lopsided grin. His steel blue eyes met her own before he placed his calloused hand to her cheek.

“My star, you're too tough on yourself. I know you think you made a mistake and then it ate away at your conscience, but you didn't. It was my recklessness that got me in to that position.

“Yeah, I know. But Nyx-"

“Nov's, you can't let other people's stupid actions burden you with a weight that isn't yours to bare. So the next time I’m being an idiot and get hurt, and we both know that it's bound to happen sooner rather than later, remember it's not your fault, it's never your fault.”

Nyx slid his chair to be closer to Nova, seeing the slight smile of appreciation on her lips spurred him on to continue his plead for her to free herself of any residual blame that was lingering in the dark recesses of her mind.

“Nov's, you are not the reason I was injured but you are the reason that I'm here with you now.”

Wrapping an arm around Nova’s shoulders, Nyx placed a soft kiss to the top of her head. Nova leaned in to the embrace with a content hum at the closeness and to Nyx's words.

“Thanks Nyx, I love and appreciate you so much.”

Nyx’s hand slipped under Nova's chin, his fingers brushing the scar that ran along her jawline as he tilted her face up to his, placing a soft and gentle kiss to her lips.

“I love you too my star, I always have.”

What was suppose to be a simple task of Nyx buying a bundle of flowers for Nova as they walked back to their townhouse in the bustling and lively market, turned in to a plea for help from almost all of the local vendor’s stalls they passed as each owner noticed Nyx was becoming visibly more himself with his grievous injury on the mend.

“Please, I need help and can't afford hunters.”

“You survived a couerl attack, you're better than any hunter I could hire.”

“None of the hunters will touch this, but I know it's a challenge worthy of the Lucian Sword and the Galahdian glaive.”

Requests for hunts were rolling in around them as they went through the market from the store owners who were aware of the couple’s fighting prowess and were in desperate need of assistance.

Each of them had been monitoring Nyx's recovery, waiting for the day they were confident the couple would be capable and willing to assist with their troubles.

Almost all of them were used as a bargaining chip, an offered discount in exchange for killing a pack of saberclaws that were lurking around their family farm property or free groceries for removing a band of spiracorns that were disrupting the traveling routes for deliveries.

Nyx looked to Nova who nodded in response, a single word did not have to pass between them for him to know exactly what they were going to do.

They accepted all of the hunts presented to them, partially out of a duty and responsibility they felt in helping those in the community they were rapidly becoming a part of but also in using those opportunities as trial runs in Nyx’s recovery and rehabilitation in to his former fighting condition.

“Maybe this wasn’t such a great idea Princess. Now I know why the hunters wouldn't touch this fucking hunt with a ten foot pole" Nyx's raspy voice huffed as he warped behind a tree, he bent over with hands on his knees to catch his breath with beads of sweat pouring in to his eyes and blurring his vision.

The weeks of resting had done nothing for his stamina and he was feeling those repercussions now as he attempted to not feel so winded. A flash of blue in front of him had Nyx waving his hand dismissively as a loud screech above them rang out through the sky, shaking the tree Nyx was leaning on and echoing throughout the meadow that surrounded them.

“You're doing great babe, we have it on its last legs now. Just think of the discount on wine we're going to get after beating this.”

“Princess, we need to have a serious chat about your wine consumption when we get out of this.”

Nova disappeared as quickly as she had appeared with Nyx's words falling to the wind, she warped back to the griffon who was circling overhead in an attempt to keep the attention of the beast away from Nyx while he took a moment to recover.

She kept a watchful eye on him during the skirmish, close enough to jump in quickly if necessary but far enough away to allow Nyx his independence and freedom to fight unhindered.

Nyx's biggest struggle was to mentally overcome the fear and hesitation he felt when casting a lightning spell, the familiar sensation tingled his skin and made his breath hitch in his chest as his scar ignited in tiny bolts before casting the spell.

Since his injury, it had become the strongest of the magical abilities and spells he could produce, a twisted irony that was not lost on the man as he brought the massive bird crashing to the ground with a powerful electric shock.

“For the love of the almighty Six, I'm out of shape.”

“I would hardly call that six pack you have out of shape Nyx. You're just a bit rusty, but that's why we're doing these hunts. You'll get your stamina back in no time.”

“I can think of a more enjoyable way to recover my stamina” Nyx said with a lopsided grin and wink as he flopped to the ground beside the griffon corpse with a thud.

“Those are some big words coming from a man who was showing some performance issues during that fight" Nova said with a laugh as she joined Nyx on the lush grassy ground, nudging him in the side with an elbow as a large smile lit up her face and her blue eyes were bright with a lively energy.

“Wow Princess, that hurts. Pretty sure my performance has always been nothing but incredible enough to have you screaming out my name in past, or are you saying I'm rusty at that too?”

Nyx pulled Nova in to his lap, he teased her neck with his stubble and gentle nibbles at her ear, when he felt the slight shake of a shiver run through her body and a breathy sigh escape Nova, a lopsided smirk spread across his face as he pulled away to look at her.

“I mean, a bit practice never hurt right?”

“Definitely not my star.”

In one swift motion, Nyx had Nova on her back and was on top of her instantly. His lips quickly claimed her own with a strong and passionate kiss, her body completely submissive to him as he slid his tongue passed her lips without the usual resistance she had in attempting to take control.

Nova's hand slid underneath his heavily sweat soaked shirt, her soft hands roaming and barely skimming the damp and hard planes of his toned torso had sent a shiver and jolt of excitement down his spine and in to his cock with a slight twitch.

Nova wrapped her legs tightly around Nyx's waist, he ground his hips down in to her, the pressure and friction earning a delicious moan from Nova that Nyx kissed away while he felt his jeans growing tighter on his hardening bulge.

Nyx pulled his lips away from Nova's, moving to the soft and sensitive flesh just behind her ear with a small bite and suck on the thin skin, he smirked the instant his name was moaned from her lips and her hips bucked up beneath him.

His bites continued down her jawline and began to follow the delicate chain that rested along the crook of her neck while his rough fingers grasped the hem of her shirt, with one hand sliding behind her back, Nyx sat Nova up long enough to rip the garment off of her along with her bra and place it beneath her head as a make shift pillow on the hard ground.

Nyx unceremoniously discarded his own musky shirt to the side, his mouth came down to lock on one of her nipples to suck and roll the sensitive bud between his teeth while the other was being flicked between his fingers before switching and giving the same attention to the other nipple with his mouth.

Nova was already a moaning and bucking mess beneath him, Nyx’s mouth and hands knew her body like no other and knew exactly how to make her in to a pile of mush under him.

His stubble grazed between the mounds of her breasts, teasing her sensitive skin as he trailed kisses along the waistband of her jeans.

“Nyx, please” Nova moaned as he backtracked his kisses with nibbles along her waistband again.

“Please what, Princess?” Nyx hummed teasingly with a quick glance to see her fair face a flustered shade of red as his hand ghosted up her body to squeeze and roll one of her hard nipples in his fingers.

“I need you in me” Nova begged as he gave an especially hard nip to her hip bone, leaving behind a teeth print that made his cock want to tear through his jeans.

Undoing Nova's jeans, she was quick to shimmy out of the pants and underwear, spreading her legs wide before an expecting Nyx, a lopsided grin spread across his features at having Nova laid out so willing and vulnerable in front of him yet the nearby griffon body was a remarkable reminder that she was anything but powerless.

It was a sight Nyx would have loved to capture on his phone for cold and lonely nights when he was deployed with the Kingsglaive but opted to engrain it in to his heart and soul.

Nyx took his time trailing kisses down her torso, Nova wiggling under him impatiently had him smirking as he threw one of her legs over his shoulder and flattened himself on to the hard ground.

“Nyx, _please_.”

With a lopsided grin and a wink up to Nova who was intently watching his every movement, his tongue licked a long and lazy stripe up her wet core, a long breathy moan drawing out of her as Nyx’s tongue flicked at her bundle of nerves.

His mouth latched around her clit, rolling it in between his teeth and mouth, applying pressure before flicking the nerves with his tongue. Nyx’s own hips were pressed hardly in to the grassy earth beneath him, relieving him own growing pressure as his fingers curled and slipped in and out Nova’s sopping wet core.

Nyx did not relent until he could feel Nova's thigh trembling on his shoulder, her breath becoming more labored and his name on her lips in a cursing praise had his own cock leaking precum in his excruciatingly tight jeans.

His mouth and fingers picked up speed as he pushed Nova through her orgasm, her fingers tightly gripping his hair and scratching his scalp spurred him on even more until they became slack and limp on his head.

Nyx finally removed his own pants, stroking his length a few times when he was finally free of their confines, Nova's blue eyes were blown out black with lust as she looked up to him with a thirst only he could quench.  
With a lopsided grin, Nyx captured Nova's lips with his own and easily thrust in to her core in one fell swoop, he was lost in the warmth that surrounded his cock and of her tongue wrestling his.

Nyx's thrusts were smooth and easy, there was no rushing behind his movements as he basked in the feeling of closeness with Nova, placing gentle and languid kisses along her jaw and neck, feeling her skin against his and her core slowly began to tighten around him.

When Nova’s nails clawed and scratched down his back, leaving a stinging burn that sent a shiver through him, he hoisted one of her legs over his shoulder. The speed and force of his thrusts picking up as he felt his own impending orgasm begin to form behind his cock.

“Nyx, I'm-"

“That's it Princess, cum for me.”

His hips snapped in to her at a steady and dizzying pace, one of his hands dug in to her hip where Nyx’s bite mark was beginning to bruise while the other held on to her leg, allowing him to thrust deeper inside of Nova.

With a long moan from Nova and a deep growl from Nyx, he worked them both through their orgasms, his thrusts sloppy and slowing but never relenting until he fully empty himself inside her.

Nyx gently sat Nova's leg to the ground, flipping her over so that she laid on his chest while he claimed the ground she had been laying on.

“So, what were you saying about those performance issues again, Princess?”

“Definitely passable, but I think another demonstration but be needed to get you back into peak form.”

“You are insatiable my star, I swear.”

With a wink and a lopsided grin, Nyx leapt back on to his feet and pulled Nova up with him. He felt confident and invigorated, exhilarated and content as he dressed back in to his sweaty and musky clothes.

Nyx had brought down a griffon after countless weeks of feeling useless and broken, he had an energetic and lively Nova under his arm who he had been terrified he was going to lose.

Nyx felt like the King of Eos in that moment, and it took every fiber of his being to keep the little velvet box he brought with him at all times in his pocket, the timing and moment still not up to the standard he thought Nova deserved.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I AM SO SORRY FOR THE LACK OF UPDATES!!
> 
> Unfortunately my life got extremely hectic with too many days of little to no sleep for weeks on end which left me completely burnt out with no motivation or inspiration for writing, despite the million and one ideas I have floating around in my head for these fics.
> 
> Now, that being said, I'm in the process of writing the next chapter for Written in the Stars, I'm 8 pages deep and haven't even delved in to the Kingsglaive storyline yet. Which means either that bad boy will be a bit longer of a delay for an update or I'll break it up into a couple of chapters, I'm not sure yet but with it being such a crucial event I want to make sure I perfect it and not just publish for the sake of it!
> 
> Anyways, thank you again to everyone enjoying this journey and I'll make sure to post on a more regular basis!🖤


	4. Chapter 4

_“Part of her mystery is how she is calm in the storm,_   
_And anxious in the quiet.”_   
_-JmStorm_

 

“I don't care what you say, we're moving to Galahd, Princess.”

The frigid bite of the glacial air surrounding Nyx had the Galahdian man vowing to return to the tropical isles and never looking back as he carefully tiptoed on the icy and slippery paths that compromised the floors of Greyshire Grotto.

No amount of fire magic coursing through his veins could keep the freezing burn his body felt at bay. His skin ached and numbed beneath his Kingsglaive garb, his teeth chattered and his bones shivered.

Nyx's eyes narrowed with bitterness as he glanced to Nova, her boots effortlessly and gracefully skating along the frozen trails and doing circles around the icy stalagmites that protrude from the cavern floor. 

A large smile lit up her face and her blue eyes were wild and bright as she enjoyed the artic tundra they were stuck in until they collected the royal arm.

As much as Nyx appreciated her enthusiasm and to see her lively and happy, he would have preferred if it were above ground and in the heat of the day.

“It isn't that bad.”

“That's easy to say when you're bundled up in a massive down-filled parka with a nice soft fur lining around the hood to keep your face warm Princess.”

Nova gave a hearty laugh as she slid over to the irritable Nyx, a smirk on her face as she tightened the collar of his Kingsglaive battle armor around his neck in an attempt to keep the frosty temperatures away. 

“I offered to buy you a proper winter jacket.”

“Don't need a winter jacket if we move to Galahd.”

“You're not wrong, but we'd have to visit in Insomnia you know” Nova said with a chuckle as she placed her hands on Nyx's chest, snickering at the scowl that twisted his ruggedly handsome face in to a look Nova was not accustomed to seeing on the usually easygoing man. 

“We'd visit in the summer.”

“You know I can't miss the holidays or the Winter Solstice Carnival though.”

“That's fine, I'll wait for you in Galahd and you can go with your other boyfriend to the Carnival.”

“Nyx Ulric, are you jealous of Gladio being my annual date to the Winter Solstice?”

Nova chuckled as Nyx's scowl turned in to an unimpressed glower, his steel grey eyes as cold as their surroundings but his clacking teeth and shivering body made the man just appear adorably cute and fragile instead of the fierce imposing look he had clearly been attempting to convey. 

“Princess, I have no reason to get jealous when I'm this good looking. Besides, I'm glad you can have Amicitia as a date, it means I don't have to go.”

Nova reached up on her toes to place a kiss to Nyx's freezing cheek with a laugh before she was swiftly skating away again into the dark depths of the cave. 

“I didn't know you turned into such a grumpy old man when you're cold babe.”

“I'm not grumpy and I'm definitely not old" Nyx grumbled as he desperately latched on to stalagmites that resembled massive icicles for stability and support.

A scream and an excited laugh echoed throughout the small cavern, causing Nyx to pause mid-step and fall to the hard ice on one knee as he slipped, a spew of Galahdian curses left him as the hard impact jolted through his spine.

His heartbeat skyrocketed as his eyes attempted to search through the impenetrable darkness that lingered just beyond the limits of his flashlight in a frenzied effort to locate Nova and the source behind her scream.

“Nov's, where are you? Are you okay?”

Nyx frantically got to his feet, unstable and wobbly especially after the hit his knee had taken but he was at least in a better position to assist in any fights that might take place. 

“I'm great, get down here!”

Nova's voice was distant and Nyx had a difficult time determining the direction it came from as her words echoed and ricocheted on the frozen walls. 

Sliding as best he could on the glassy surface, Nyx followed the path he saw Nova had taken, coming to a dead stop as he squinted to peer in to the dark abyss the ground dipped in to with an icy downhill slant. 

“Dear Gods, please no..”

“Nyx, are you coming?”

Nova's voice ringing up from below him ruined whatever doubt he was clinging on to in the hopes he would not have to trek down the slippery slope.

“Fucking Shiva have mercy on my soul and just take me now" Nyx grumbled before sitting on the cliffs edge and pushing himself down the treacherous winding slope. 

The cold air whipped and stung his face as he descended further in to the darkness, his flashlight only highlighting how dangerously close he was to hitting the caverns walls. 

Nova was in a roaring fit of laughter when Nyx rejoined her at the base of the hill, his face contorted in to a look of pure and utter disgust at what he had just endured.

“Let's get this over with" Nyx mumbled as he brushed the icy pellets that clung to his jacket and pants, freezing the little bit of sensations he still had in his body. 

“After you" Nova breathed out between laughs, the tears turning in to icy crystal shards before having the chance to roll down her face.

Nova fell in line behind Nyx with a hand on his lower back as he lead them through the chamber, she was wary of his unsteady steps on the slick ground as he stumbled along with unsure strides on the glassy surface.

“For the love of the Six, not again..”

Nyx came to a stop, Nova approached beside him to see what the problem was. When another steep slippery slope stretched out beneath them, Nova could not hide the excited smile that spread across her face.

“It's not that bad babe, just a quick slide down to the bottom. Simple and painless.”

“This is my own personal hell, when I die, this is what my soul will be tormented with.”

Nova rubbed a reassuring circle in to Nyx’s back as she stifled a chuckle at the man's pained groan, sliding her hand in to his for an encouraging squeeze.

“The sooner we get the weapon, the sooner we can get out of here babe. Maybe we can go down to Cape Caem for a few days, warm up near the Cygillan sea and just relax in the sun.”

Nyx looked to Nova with a slightly forced lopsided grin as she spoke, the proposition clearly easing some of his discomfort while his grey dismal eyes sparked with a captivated blue. 

“Can we have sex while we're there?”

“Um, yeah? I assumed that was a given" Nova chuckled, but the mischievous look in Nyx's eyes made her realize there was more to his question. 

“Can we have sex on top of the lighthouse? That's been on my bucket list for years.”

“Babe, if you get us out of this frigid hell within the hour, I will personally make sure to fuck your brains out on top of that lighthouse every day we're there.”

With a genuine lopsided grin and a wink, Nyx leaned back and willingly let himself fall on to the downward slope without a second thought, disappearing in to dark depths with a slight curse on his lips.

Nyx kept his head down and bite his tongue as he focused on the task of getting them through the glacial grotto as quickly as possible. He single-handedly sent the arachne that stood in there way back to the icy hell it had risen from. 

If Nyx’s shoulder and chest bothered him from the battle, he was not able to feel it as the freezing cold air numbed his entire body to any pain or sensations he might have felt.

The remainder of the grotto had proven to be eerily empty, a few weak daemons challenged their progress, but it was hardly enough for Nyx and Nova to break a sweat over.

The moment the white marble doors to the crypt came in to sight, Nyx let out a sigh of relief that immediately died in his throat as a triad of imps blocked their path with a mindflayer leading the helm. 

“You have got to be fucking kidding me. Princess, don't you dare hold this against my timeframe” Nyx said with an annoyed sigh as he spun his kukris in his hands, trying to rejuvenate a bit of feeling to his fingers in order to properly grip his blades.

“I wouldn't dream of it. I got the big one, you take the small ones?”

“Consider it done.”

Nyx effortlessly picked away at the imps one-by-one as their sharp claws tried to break through his defenses. They may be fast but he was faster, stronger, and smarter than the daemon varmint and worst of all for the ghoulish creatures was their vulnerability to daggers. 

Nyx sliced through their ranks with a masterful ease as his kukris flowed as an outward extension of his own hands and arms, the sharpened steel meeting little to no resistance with every imp body he cut down. 

Nova warped to the mindflayer with swords swinging as she hacked away at the outstretched tentacles that attempted to grab her. Fighting with her scimitars of the Hunter, she was easily able to maintain a safe distance from the monstrous humanoid of a daemon with its oozing appendages that sought a hold on her flesh the moment an opening became available.

She never allowed that opportunity to transpire as both scimitars sliced toward the neck of the octopus-like head with a deadly accuracy, cleaning decapitating the horrid daemon with the simple flick of her wrist. 

“Nov's, please get that damned weapon so we can get the fuck out of here" Nyx pleaded, thoroughly exasperated with their journey in the frozen hellscape. 

The trek back through the glacial grotto had been just as strenuous and tiresome as the journey in to it’s frigid depths. The surrounding temperature slowly increased as Nova and Nyx continued their upward hike, Nyx’s steps becoming more steady and fast as the sounds of the rushing waterfall that marked the exit to the cave grew closer and louder. 

The bright stars twinkling above in the clear dark sky eagerly welcomed the couple as they ascended from the underground cavern, the night air of Cleigne which was usually cool and crisp felt hot and heavy in comparison to the glacial grotto.

Nyx stretched his arms above his head as he felt his skin and muscles already beginning to thaw, leaving him with a burning itchy feeling across his body. 

“Can we agree to never go back in that damned cave again my star?” Nyx wearily asked as Nova joined his side, taking her hand in his as he began their walk away from Callatein's Plunge waterfall and back to caravan they had rented for the night. 

“I don't see any reason we would have to go back" Nova replied with a chuckle as she watched a relieved look cross over Nyx's face.

“Thank the Gods. Now, I don't know about you Princess, but I think I hear a hot shower and bed calling our names.”

* * *

The drive to Cape Caem was long and scenic, the rolling hills of Cleigne opened up to the vast expanse of the Leirity Seaside along the highway. Nyx lead the charge to the coast at a leisurely pace, enjoying the clear blue skies above them that merged in to the glistening blues of the ocean beside them.

The seaside cottage was not as extravagant or outrageous as Nyx had been expecting the royal property to be. Instead it was humble and quaint, reminiscent of a large barn-house that had been renovated in to a cottage. The rustic and subtle interior reminded him more of the townhouse he shared with Nova than the Citadel in Insomnia he thought it would be.

“Welcome to Cape Caem” Nova said with a large smile as she entered the house behind a curious Nyx. 

“It's a lot less.. royal.. than I was expecting” Nyx said with a chuckle, a lopsided grin spread wide across as his face as Nova slinked in to his arms.

“Is that a bad thing?” Nova laughed as Nyx pulled her closer in to his grasp, placing a firm kiss to her forehead.

“Definitely not my star, this is more my style. Just thought with it being the getaway house of the royal family there would be more marble and gold.”

“Well, it was pretty much just a hideout and operations base for my dad during the Great War. It’s been more or less abandoned since then with maintenance workers hired by the Crown coming by every so often to keep the lighthouse functional and the house intact.”

“Princess, it's perfect.”

Days on the coast meandered by as easily as the ocean breezes that blew through their hair. Nyx fished for their dinner every day at the nearby dock while Nova laid by his side, enjoying the warm rays on her bare skin. 

They hiked and jumped off the cliff sides that steeply dropped off to the warm Cygillan Ocean below before warping back to the top and doing it all over again. 

The couple sat on top of the Cape Caem lighthouse, Nyx wrapped an arm around Nova’s waist and pulled her in to his chest as they watched the beginning stages of sunset light up the sky in an array of vibrant hues over the gentle surface of the ocean. 

“So, where are we going to go after this Princess?” Nyx casually asked as he took in the sight of Nova cuddling in to his chest.   
Nova shrugged in his embrace, looking out to the distant horizon as her legs dangled over the edge of the lighthouse.

“I'm not sure. We aren't far from Malmalam Thicket or Ravatogh but we also still need to go up to Myrlwood up near the Vesperpool” Nova contemplated the possibilities, none sounding any more pleasant or daunting than the other. 

“Well maybe we should do Malmalam Thicket since we're already close and save Ravatogh for another time. I feel like I still need to work on regaining my stamina before hiking up a fucking volcano" Nyx said with a genuine laugh, he had been struggling with the undemanding hikes along the coast, let alone a mountain.

“We’ll save Ravatogh then. I'd kind of like that one to be the last royal arm we get anyways, I’ve heard it has the best view for overlooking all of Lucis.”

Nyx placed a soft kiss on Nova's braids as the sun finally dipped below the horizons surface. Jumping to his feet, Nyx pulled Nova up with him as he stood with their back to the ocean that reflected the magnificent colors of the sunset. 

“Smile Princess” Nyx said as he pulled her in to his chest, holding his phone out at arm’s length as Nova positioned herself close to him. Nyx gave Nova a sudden kiss to her cheek as he took the photo, by the genuine laugh she let out, Nyx already knew Nova was stunning in the photo. 

“What was that for?” she asked with a laugh, the same large smile that appeared in the picture on his phone was still boldly across her face.

“Because you're beautiful and I love you" Nyx casually replied with a crooked grin and a one shoulder shrug. 

“Well, you're handsome and I love you too” Nova said with a slight bite of her lip as she placed either of her hands on Nyx's chest. 

“Oh yeah? How much do you love me?” Nyx teasingly asked with a quipped eyebrow, placing a hand on either side of Nova’s waist as he pulled her closer. 

“More than anything” Nova replied, just within reach of her lips touching Nyx's when her phone ringing interrupted the tender moment. 

She briefly glanced to the device, ignoring the call from the Marshal for the time being and separating the distance between her and Nyx with a passionate kiss. 

Nyx's phone rang mere seconds later, earning a soft chuckle from the man as he parted from Nova, answering the call immediately upon looking at the caller.

Nova stood impatiently while Nyx answered with curt and short responses, ending the call as quickly as it had begun. 

“We're needed back in Insomnia" Nyx said to Nova's questioning stare. Before she had the opportunity to argue Nyx cut her off, taking her hand in his as he lead her to the elevator.

“There's been an incident, an attempted attack on your brother that's left Amicitia in the hospital.”

Whatever reluctance Nova had been holding on to immediately vanished at Nyx’s words, the moment the lift doors opened, Nova was sprinting through and towards their motorcycles parked at the bottom of the hill that Cape Caem rested on. 

The drive from the Cape to the Crown City would have taken any responsible and reasonable driver a full day, Nova had her and Nyx to the West Gate in a handful of hours, just as the moon was reaching its peak above Insomnia. 

Nova continued the reckless pace to the Citadel medical wing, much to the dismay of Nyx and the guard patrolling the highways that dared not pull over the hasty Princess and Sword.

Coming to a stop in front of the Citadel steps, Nova and Nyx quickly dismounted theirs bikes and took the steps two at a time. Nyx held Nova’s hand as they sprinted through the marble hallways, the sounds of their heavy footsteps echoing throughout the empty corridors.

It took no time for the couple to find Gladio's room with it being the only room in the wing to have a guard stationed at the entrance. 

The Crownsguard quickly stepped aside at the arrival of Nova and Nyx, offering a slight bow as they swept in to the room. Gladiolus laid in the small bed, the side of his face heavily bandaged as he laughed with Iris and Clarus at his side. 

“Gladio what happened?!” Nova asked with concern when the young Shield turned his attention away from his father and sister, looking with his one free eye to the new arrivals. 

“Gladdy was protecting Noct and got stabbed in the eye.”

“I wasn’t stabbed in the eye Iris, it's just a scratch.”

“A scratch that almost resulted in losing your vision in that eye" Clarus added with a huff at his son's nonchalant and dismissive reaction to his wound.

Nova sat at the foot of Gladio's bed with a distressed look while Nyx leaned against the doorframe with crossed arms and a smirk on his face. 

“Amicitia, we leave you alone for a few months and you get your face torn off. What's going to happen next time we leave?” Nyx said with a chuckle, earning a roguish grin and eye roll from the younger man. 

“Where's the person who did this?” Nova asked as she turned her attention away from her best friend and on to the elder Shield.

“In Cor's custody, a fate far worse than anything my son could have inflicted on the poor soul I'm sure" Clarus said with a slight laugh, “Gladio, he refused to lay a hand on the man. Said he will never harm a fellow citizen of Insomnia. Our dear Marshal however, is another story.”

“How noble of you" Nyx chimed in from the doorway, a look of respect flashing behind the grey blue hues of his eyes as he smirked.

“Yeah well, not all of us are scrappy Galahdian’s Ulric” Gladio quickly replied with a laugh and wolfish grin of his own, the glaive could only shrug and give a lopsided smile in response.

“Gladio, I'm sorry. I should have been there" Nova said with a deep sigh and a heavy heart as she placed a hand on Gladio's leg.

The young Shield instantly shot his best friend a skeptical look from underneath the layers of bandages that comprised his face at Nova's words. 

“Novie, if you were there, I would still be sitting in this hospital bed from taking the blow.”

“I could have blocked the knife.”

“Broken beer bottle.”

“What?”

Gladio gave a hearty laugh and shook his head, “look it doesn't matter cause at the end of the day, I'm fine, Noct is fine and now I'm going to have a badass scar from being the Shield.”

“Woman love a good scar Amicitia, you should have seen Nov's after my couerl attack finally heal-" Nyx was promptly cut short by a fierce sideways glare from Nova, a crooked grin and wink replaced the words he was about to say. 

With constant reassurances that Gladiolus would be fine, the couple took their leave from the hospital in order to allow the young Shield the rest he needed to heal. 

“So, I think we need to pick up where we left off in Cape Caem Princess" Nyx said with a lopsided grin as Nova cuddled in to his bare chest as they lay in her plush and comfortable bed. 

“That so? Don't want to save it for the top of the lighthouse?” Nova replied with a chuckle as she looked to Nyx’s steel blue eyes that were blown wide with lust.

“Oh I do, and it's absolutely still going to happen. Tomorrow we'll head back there for a few days and then we’ll tackle Malmalam Thicket, I heard it's supposed to be a beautiful jungle. But as for now, I think a certain Princess was going to show me just how much she loved me" Nyx said with a crooked grin as he pulled Nova on top of him, earning a laugh and large smile from the woman. 


End file.
